The present invention relates to an electrophotographic copying machine and, more particularly, to a sorter for an electrophotographic copying machine.
An electrophotographic copying machine produces an electrostatic latent image onto a photorecepter corresponding to a pattern image on a document such as a book to be copied. Toner particles are electrostatically adhered to the latent image, so that the latent image becomes visible as a toner image. The toner image on the photorecepter is transferred onto a copy paper via a transference charger. A sorter may be coupled to the copying machine for sorting a plurality of copied papers into each one of a plurality of bins therein in the order of a plurality of documents copied.
Conventionally, while the copying machine is placed in a sorting mode with the sorter, if some papers are to be copied in the middle of the sorting mode, an interruption mode must be selected by releasing the sorting mode. After the copying of such papers, the sorting mode should be reselected. It is somewhat troublesome to repeatedly interrupt the sorting mode. Moreover, when the operator wishes to copy two different sets of documents, each to be copied in the sorting mode, so as to prepare separate sets of copied papers, he must remove the first set of sorted papers from the sorter prior to sorting the second set of copied papers.